A new children's book is introducing kids to a gay, black Santa Claus

A new Christmas story starring a gay, black Santa Claus is intending to send a message to kids this year about celebrating difference.

The children's book, ‘Santa’s Husband’, on shelves this year is offering a "fresh twist on Kris Kringle". It starts by introducing Santa Claus, who is black, and his white husband, Mr Claus.

"They are married," the book clarifies.

Written by American screenwriter Daniel Kibblesmith and illustrated by Ashley Quach, the book tells a holiday tale of how the couple work together, dance and play games, and occasionally get into arguments before making up over a plate of cookies, Chicago Tribune reports.

The book is clearly a step away from the traditional Christmas tale, typically including a white Santa Claus and Mrs Claus.

But despite the fact Santa is very clearly black and gay, this bears little weight in the story.

In fact, the couple appear more or less like most others, with the exception of feeding flying reindeer and dealing with elf labor disputes, that is.

In the book, Kibblesmith writes: “Maybe Santa Clauses can come in all shapes and colors and sizes! Just like the families that Santa Claus visits all over the world.”

He tells the Tribune if anything, the book is about giving equal validity to everybody’s traditions and lobbying against those who become “outraged” when the purity of Christmas is questioned.

“More than anything, it’s a Christmas book," he says.

“It’s really about your own family being unique, and special and having its own unique and special Christmastime.”

The book was born out of a tweet sent out byThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert writer last year after learning the Mall of America in Minneapolis was featuring a black Santa Claus. He declared he and his wife's future child would "only know about Black Santa". "If they see a white one we’ll say, ‘That’s his husband’," he added.

Kibblesmith says he and Quach's mission was "simple" — writing a default introduction book to Santa Claus while just changing some “superficial” details.

As he points out, many of the details are the same: Santa Claus still lives at the North Pole and still delivers presents to families all over the world on Christmas Eve.

Kibblesmith and Quach say their book has garnered mixed reviews, with some praising the duo for their fresh take on the traditional Christmas tale.

But others have not been as open-minded, with one social media user telling them to “Stop rewriting history”.

“There have been a lot of knee-jerk responses from people who object to it politically of philosophically,” Kibblesmith tells Vice.

“I honestly think that most of the objections just come from the general uneasiness of change.

“I think when people get angry or uncomfortable, there’s always this base layer of fear, of chance. They just want to ‘let things be stay the way they are’. Of course, I disagree with their reaction, but also, part of me wants to comfort them.”

While Kibblesmith’s book is unlikely to change the traditional interpretation of Santa Claus overnight, it might at least be a sign of bigger social change brewing.